PERSONALITIES of the week

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 42, 26 April 1935, Page 10

PERSONALITIES

of the week

NOMADIC QUARTET DURING its long artistic career, the Rose String Quartet has appeared in practically every country in Europe. This perfect and congenial combination of artists is made up as follows: Professor Arnold Rose, first violin, Paul Fischer, second violin, Anton Ruzitska, viola, and Anton Walter, ’cello. Professor Rose, the founder, is a native of Jassy, Roumania, and, as a young soloist, he played at the first performance of the Goldmark Concerto, which was given under the direction of Nikisch in Leipsig. At the early age of 18 he Was appointed concert meister of the Imperial Opera in Vienna. He is a brother-in-law of the late Gustav Mahler, composer and conductor of the New York Metropolitan Opera, and the same city’s famous Philharmonic Orchestra. ,

THORNDIKE HIKES "THE man in the street has come to belive that great actresses spend their leisure time reclining on silken divans and smoking fat and heavenscented cigarettes. Dame Sybil Thorndike, who wag in New Zealand last year, does nothing of the. sort. When she was acting in Christchurch ste spent most of her spare moments

walking on the Port Hills. She became a familiar figure on the Cashmere Hills tramg and her dress was usually something brown and of heavy tweed. A felt hat that looked as is it had survived many southerly busters, a pair of stout shoes and an equally businesslike walking stick completed the outfit. Her husband, Mr. Lewis Casson, and son Christopher, usually made up. the walking party, the men being equally sensibly dressed in flannels and sport coats. DOUBLE BASS SOLOIST SERGE KOUSSEVITZKY was. not al- ' ways a conductor. His original fame was as a double-bass soloist, The interest created by the aristocratic looking young man from Moscow at the turn of the century ‘was intense. Ue stirred up the most blase musical public in the whole world-the selfsufficient concert-goers of Berlin. He did not play the- small-sized three string bass tuned to fifths, as did Bottestini, but he gave vein to his virtuosity on a_ full-size orchestra bass tuned to fourths in the ordinary way. No one had attempted to win virtuoso | laurels on the full-sized bass since the eccentric genius, Dragonetti, 100 years before. Young Serge came, played, and conquered, and with the critics, especinord he was, in modern parlance-‘"a r fs) . IDEAL TEAM WORK [THE splendid team-work of the Lener String Quartet, to which the whole world looks as a standard, began with the best possible of auguries. The four artists are almost the same age-two Were born in 1894 and two in 1895-and_ all were distinguished pupils of the

Same school-the Budapest Academy. All except the ’cellist were the pupils of one master, Hubay, and he wag ‘a pupil and close friend of Joachim, so that the best traditions of quartetplaying long ago became.part of theNy, equipment. The ’cellist was a pupi . of that great artist, David. Popperf When revolution broke out in Vienn. in 1918, all four were leading members of the Budapest opera orchestra; they . Went into retirement, and devoted themselves for two years to uninterrupted quartet practice, with'a success ' which was immediately acclaimed on their first appearance as qa team. To the musical world of Vienna, and soon afterwards in Paris, their playing was something of q revelation, and even now, when the whole world knows them, it is always a fresh amazement, wherever they are heard, that four artists can play as though only one conception of the music guided their thoughts and hands. The Lener Quartet. personne] is Jeno Lener, first violin, Joseph Smfiovitz, second violin, Sandor Roth, vigia, and Omre Hartman, ’cello,. — ‘ CARUSO AT BLACKPOOL WHEN Caruso went to Blackpool .in the summer of 1909, his recital] at the Winter Gardens created: an in- delible impression on the minds of the audience. There are many people who ' still regard it as one of the most dramatie experiences of their lives, According to the files of "The Blackpool Gazette," people waited four hours outside the Winter Gardens for.the. commencement of the concert. People paid .five shillings for gallery seats and three shillings for the privilege of, standing on the promenade. -Caruso’s.. beaming smiles contrasted oddly with his general Napoleonic mien, and towards the box which contained his two friends, Mr. BHugene Sandow and Mr. George Robey, he directed many friendly glances. His final appearance on the stage after many encores, was in overcoat withGibus hat, and hig gloves in his hand. with which he waved a genial "addio. 4 POPULAR ORGANIST ‘ "THE death of Arthur Meale, organist and composer, on December 10, 1932, robbed the art of music of one of its most faithful and sincere servants and one of . its most popular figures. Born at Slaithwaite, Huddersfield, Yorkshire (the birthplace also incidentally. of the eomposer, Haydn Wood), Arthur Meale attained fame by his splendidly attended recitals. at the Central Hall, Westminster, at which console he made many fine organ records. One of these, his own composition, "The Storm," became a bdst seller, His other compositions, ‘apart from organ music, consisted of pianbforte and vocal music. He designed many fine organs including the one in the City Hall, Hull = .. }

"UNCLE PERCY" AMONG hig musical friends, the late Percy Pitt, conductor and composer, was affectionately known as "Uncle Percy." At one time the Director of Musie. to the B.B.C., he had a large share in raising British music to the honourable position it holds to-day. Inside the B.B.C. a "Pitt" programme could be readily accepted as a real contribution to the week’s work, and needed no supervision, for it was already planned with such ‘perfection and catholidity of taste, such a happy gift of proportion, and such a real sense of beauty and appropriateness, that no editing could improve it. New Zealand listeners may have equal confidence in tun-‘ing-in to any selection Percy Pitt. conducts on the records.

CLERK TO CONDUCTOR "To-DAx an outstanding figure in. the world of music, there was a time when Dr. Leo Blech was an obscure clerk in a counting house. Born in 1871 at Aix-la-Chapelle, he has earned his living since he was sixteen. He endured his uncongenial work for four years, and then the big break came-he followed his irresistible desire for a musician’s life, beginning his studies at the Royal School of Musie. Here he failed to see "eye to eye’ with his teacher, Bargiel-step-brother ot Clara Schumann-so he left the school in the following year. It was obvious that he was breaking away from the traditional school of music, but, nevertheless, he wag invited shortly afterwards ‘to become conductor of the

Municipal Orchestra in his native town. but he stuck to. his studies. PREMIUMS TO PIANO OR five years Norman Long was an insurance clerk, but from his tratficking in premiums, covers, risks, policies, and what-not, he turned his attention stage-wards. Not that Norman has altogether finished with "taking risks" (some of his records are g bit on the saucy side!) ; but for all that, he has one asset that is denied hearers of his records. This is his, bright smile and his sparkling eyes. Apart from his. undoubted pianistic abilities, Norman Long has an ‘excellent voice and diction. This is especially marked in his brilliant performance in "We Can’t Let You Broadcast That!"